1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods of rendering stereoscopic images, and more particularly to stereoscopic rendering systems and methods that can reduce discomfort caused by decoupling between eye accommodation and vergence.
2. Description of the Related Art
For increased realism, three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopic image technology is increasingly applied in various fields such as broadcasting, gaming, animation, virtual reality, etc. To create depth perception, two image frames are typically captured or generated to simulate the left eye view and right eye view. These two image frames can be respectively provided to the left and right eyes on a two-dimensional screen so that each of the left and right eyes can only see the image associated therewith. The brain can then recombine these two different images to produce the depth perception.
One known technique for rendering stereoscopic image frames includes using a two-dimensional (2D) image and a depth map to construct a plurality of virtual stereoscopic image frames associated with the left and right eyes. Assume that a rendered object is meant to appear in front of (or behind) the display screen, the left and right eyes turn to respectively look at the left-eye and right-eye images of the object as if the object exists in front of (or behind) the display screen. However, the images of the object are actually presented at a fixed focal distance on the display screen. This results in decoupling of eye accommodation and vergence, which can cause difficulty in merging binocular images, and fatigue and discomfort.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system that can reduce fatigue induced by vergence-accommodation conflict in stereoscopic image rendering.